New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-19
OPPRESSED BY MIR. Villas.
o,,n PROTESTS OF CITY MERCHANTS.

u,,v CpITICIsING THE RECENi "'
r,,,n AND FOURTH CLASS MAI
T., rosnonse to the protest aga'iiS' NV o,a~, -,
..,onof tho postal law that io"r'n 'na''0.
pretationoi '"o a., class rates when anything
snouiu w .,der,s name and rcsidenco appears
more ina" - or wrapper, which was recently LOT
on tno 49,, postmaster General by r. ii. Macy
warue" . T,vlor X. O'Nclll Co., stern brO'horS
al the other leading retail merchah'S Vi ,no '"y'
-, villas has sent an elaborate 'oPiS' ~ ~ -
MI nut satisfactory to tho business men, now
s :, may he TO the POstnaster-Generai hinsch
wv ,ocation of the absurd order was 'sSKeu by the
..an,s because, in their opinion: 1t was wholly I'M
an,ed By tho law because 1t vas prohibitory IN
"A' % fourth-cIass matter, and destroyed that
'ho ,oco,her by making 1t pay frst-claSs postage;
o"' n would I'm the majority of cases. affect third
- natter the same as fourhclass, and 1t denied
,. mayer before questiOned-thc right to wrte or
"e' o, the outside of the package the address of
~ ,,orson 10 whom IT is desired to have 1t returned
,.hor,norc the merchants maintained that II 10
'na samrlcs frst-class rates should be required,
rondcnis would either have to pay the increased
90 merchants or the merchants could no longer
' 49,, mails for this purpose thus doing away largo
',,h tourth.claSs matter, which IS an Important
y If revenue to the Government.
RtOw TO MERCHANTS AND THE PUBIC.
was also stated that the merchants had been
.,no the envelopes and wrapping paper, which under
~, now rung had been declared subject to hrst-clasS
s,are for nine years, and that the trademarks
,n,ed on these had the effect to indivdualze the
ioral firms and to increase the transactions carried
N through the mails. BY this the money order bnsi'
uoss had been built up. and to compel now the prac-
s, ho,ion of fourthclass postage, the new order
oors would not only be great detriment to the
.,toncrs themselves but to the publlc as we'll
These and a great many other forcible reasons for
the new orders repeal were placed before Mr. Villas
INT seems they have failed to cause him to reccde
from the position that he has taken in the matter TIC
ooy informs the signcrs Of the protest that he Is MOI
q, blame for the new situation of affairs. that 1t Is all
the fault of Congress- and from that BODY, MOI from
him must the desired relief be obtained
at &c minated he says in speaking of the postal
,. nm the subject "that a change has been made by
,,o DEPARTMENT This IS an The rule you
conplan of exists only in the act of Congress- ana mas
stood there since 1879, when 1T was passed No reg
uatlon Of the Department has ever been made TO as
nense with II, within my knowledge or means oi I'D
oulry. as of course, could validity be- Inc
nract,cc Of which you speak has been pursued in con
travcnli,n of the statute
TRYING To EXPLAIN THE ACT OF CoN"kESS'
He then quotes the act of Congress referred TO- ana
,hps comments upon the portions of 1t referring 10
., class matter: In res pect fourth class mat
for this statute BY Interpretation favorable to scnui'
~ fourhclass matter has been rcgari"l as aiming al
the exterior of the envelope in the specihc drec'ons
rs TO what may be written or printed besides loIou
ding the Enclosure Of any written matter ol 'o "'''
class a similar idea governs tie direction III FoSp'
"a third class matter far as concerns 'c cA''' Va
A., rcro, or envelope The statute and regulations.
,herefore permit printed matter to be lncloNeu "'''
tho envelope of either third fourth class paceS'
which ;Le law forbds to be upon the exterior lhe
embellishments of business the directions IN respect
IN the return of samples and the further cohuu" Vi
communications I'm respect to them are per""''o" ~
,hc sta,utc to be lncOSed within the ehNeiop0 " Wv
torn, Of a printed circular. But inc s'"'"'o ""' "
c,arcd thai If anv writing or printing eA'eP' a. P'
vided therein. shall be upon any matter vi o''"o' "
,,oso classes paymen of frStclass postage must Dc
demanded" . aba, nm
r, o,ostion Of obtaining relief IS next taken up
,ano & In, one way he declares, for the Department
=, ro,, II and that IS 0y openly violating inc law
~ s an officer OF the law, Mr.. Was VI oo"''o'
could not do and consequently, no nil'S n''"'
terly helpless" to permit the serdhs Vi P
disregard Of the explicit unmiStakahie u"co"o"
Iav.making powerr 1t is familiar uoo"'"''
continues that If the law be unwiSe' inc n'os'
toc,ivc means to a correction Is obedience WIN "hd'
go u, c,occncnces attend It, and representation 10
a.. tooislature shall not fail in the annuaI rcpo''
-, M ncnar,mcnt TO invite the attention OF inc IIcS'
dont with a view to It's submission 10 Oohs''9,' "
This subject ! am not entitled Otherwise ~ oi.'0"
law which 1t is only my duty to obey ". a WI" -,
,ure the remark that to me IL appears u'"
tus,ify the full extent to which the eAci"So =.
a., ,,n markets Of third and fourth class matter "a
tends so that sufficient clear space IS reservoir ioi
,he address its correction for refor"afd'hs anu ~,
,,arl,s reouired without confusion to the eye oi
hc clerks I'm handling, there appears little reason ~
,,oh,Id an the exterior printing which may DC piacc'
within"
IMPORTANCE OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON
In closing with the suggestion that the merchants
mt aside the envelopes and wrappers WIN" '''' ""
nrenarcd for this business until Congress cohS'u0r'
,,c matcr and that then, If favorable actIoh i '"N
tbcv can use this material, Mr. Villas appears " O
.,,Iv tina, between now and then there Is inc non
d.v season the harvest time OF the year ioF ''Oo
ness houses and when, OF all times, they hoou 0'o'
.cui,v rossble for the transaction OF the ihnch9'
,,,ne If trade that has to be attended TO- oao oo
~ the leading merchants yesterday
"suppose it is true, as MI Was say ~
strict letter Of the law requires tha' ioui $780,
,er lac handled as Is now required ID VIC" VI '"o
sucb a view Of the statute mas ho'o' o
in all the eight or nine years during "hloh .n0 10"
,oor IN existence. and also that Mr. Villas hihSei Ca
W.. sui,ahlc change to be made by Congress as
early as possible, is 1t not nnDusihe'Si,h' "',
nr,on sense in fact-to insist upon slch s' a'''0
,,er,,c alton now This Interpretation Is sa'u " "
dine 10 the influence Of country merchants uPoU Wv
nepartment Perhaps this Is true Du. II ''i
90 make any capital out Of 1t he IS greatly ms
.aton !, Is such an exhibition of pcayuno pohcy
.nd backwoods lawyerlsm that no sensible lor'o' VI"
fall to condemn IL" ,,,,.r
HOPING FOR CHANGE IN THE DhfAhi
, ' .,,od &, equally strong terms Of condcnlna
ra,rosentative Of another we'll known Hi"
sa,a. al assure you the announcement 'ha' Ios.
TO General Villas Is to be succeeded ny ~" w.
Tn,nsop ,s most thankfully received by tho g'oa'
maturity Of business men in this city ana thro"Sno".
the country 1t must not be inferred from ,n'' .n
VIZ ,o,,a,o Mr. Dickinson to be particularly "eH
W" , a.. ,ho ,lace As a matter OF fact llltle, IL